mnacenani

17 minutes ago, Drew said:

That is sad news. I enjoyed her blog

Wonder whether members would be amenable to crowdfunding ???  Was real high quality blog !!

https://www.victorullateballet.com/en/noticias/la-bailarina-lucia-lacarra-nueva-directora-artistica-del-victor-ullate-ballet-comunidad-de-madrid/

As of September 2018 - this news is a month old but have not seen it on this forum, apologise if anyone has posted it earlier. After leaving Bayerischer Staatsballett Lacarra and hubby Marlon Dino were last with Dortmund Ballet and are still listed as "permanent guest artists" with the company. I have been looking for Lacarra to be cast for something so I can go see her but no luck so far.

15 hours ago, Mashinka said:

The following Russians appeared:

Thank you very much !

16 hours ago, Mashinka said:

If Mr O'Hare can juggle youth and experience, I don't see why Vaziev can't.

The point I was trying to make was : with the number of dancers Bolshoy has, and the number of new talent Vaziev has taken on, giving the new talent more stage time to develop them will leave less time for the old-timers and some changes will have to be made. Much as I regret the "demotion" of Alexandrova and Kaptsova, I can understand Vaziev's strategy.

4 hours ago, California said:

The calendar with dates is under Programme 18-19 near the end of the list.

It's also here :  http://www.staatsballett-berlin.de/en/Kalender_2018_2019

Hope Yana Salenko is staying on - she pairs well with Simkin. I had posted a video of their Don Q GP at the Rome gala when Simkin joining Berlin was announced last summer, can't find it now.

11 hours ago, Mashinka said:

Alexandrova and Lantratov appeared in this evenings Russian Icons Gala.

Hi Mashinka !  Am on the mailing list of the organiser and Coliseum but have never been able to come to this event - every year it coincides with something else I booked months before. Is there any info online anywhere re the complete program, and reviews etc ?  We should organise for someone to go and make a bootleg video of it next year !

3 hours ago, Mashinka said:

The trouble is directors' whims don't always coincide with the audience's wishes

Much as I love Masha Alexandrova I cannot help sympathising with Vaziev : he is taking on new talent and would want to nurture and develop them, as shown by what he has been casting Kovalyova in. After the shock resignation of Alexandrova at end of January last year Vaziev gave an interview to a Russian website (which I had reported at the time) and in a thinly veiled reference to Masha said "some dancers at the twilight of their careers still want to dance roles they danced 20 years ago" and "Baryshnikov was 33 when he danced his last Basilio" etc. Much as you or me would like to see our beloved dancers year after year Vaziev has to plot a course for the future of his company - I don't envy his job !

KITRI AND MERCEDES WITH THEIR FORMER TEACHERS AT THE BALLET ACADEMY

You might be surprised to learn that Istanbul has not had a "fit and proper" opera house for 10+ years now. The "Ataturk Cultural Centre" or AKM as known to Istanbul dwellers (at Taksim Square at a central location on the European side of Istanbul) was built in the 1960s and decommissioned 10+ years ago when the government decided to knock it down and build a new opera house in time for Istanbul's turn as Cultural Capital of Europe in 2010. Certain leftist NGOs took the project to court and the project was suspended and has been in limbo ever since. Opera and ballet performances are held in a "tiny" theater converted from an old cinema at Kadikoy on the Asian side of Istanbul, a hassle to get to and from for anyone living on the other side. Last season Istanbul State Ballet staged Sleeping Beauty here to my wonder and amazement. As we were discussing on another thread last week 2018 has become the Don Quixote Year and Istanbul has followed suit. OK it's not the Bolshoy, the ballet has been slightly abridged compared with the Petipa/Gorsky/Fadeyechev version currently staged there, but it was quite enjoyable ballet as you can judge by the audience reaction in the video below. The scenery was definitely better than what Rome staged and I reported on last week, the costumes not bad, the quality of the dancing in general I found on par with say Berlin. We had 4 matadors instead of the 8 or 12 at the Bolshoy but even if Istanbul had the numbers it would have been quite impossible to put on more dancers on this tiny stage. Re orchestra :  have to admit our ballet orchestra usually starts slightly out of tune in the strings but shapes up soon after. Tonight the orchestra was excellent, in tune and tempo in all sections from start to finish. I was awaiting with some trepidation whether the memorable "March" starting the Wedding Scene would be on and it was - nothing like this to get the audience perked up. Sadly this wonderful march is cut out at some ballet companies, notably at the Bolshoy - what an idiotic decision by whoever decided to cut it ! So under the circumstances quite acceptable and enjoyable ballet. Tickets for ballet at this small theatre sell out literally within 10 minutes after online sale opens one month before performance date, faster than at the Bolshoy !    PS :  all talent is local, no imports !

https://flic.kr/p/Gyxb6f

38 minutes ago, Deflope said:

My guess is, they still haven’t decided on who will dance when (although it’s probably safe to say she gets opening night). For the last couple of premieres, they hadnt published the cast lists until a week before. 

I was/am referring to Zaharova's own website calendar, not Bolshoy's - at this moment still showing what I wrote above :

http://www.svetlana-zakharova.com/calendar/

According to her website calendar Svetlana Zaharova is to dance all 6 Anna Kareninas scheduled from March 23rd to 28th !!  Methinks either there is some slip-up by her web team or she will apply for a Guinness Book of Records certificate. MadameP is on location and could possibly check this.

DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET
Season 2018 | 2019

GALA
Surprise program, opening of the season
sat. 8 September 2018 – Dutch National Opera & Ballet

NEW CLASSICS
Dances at a Gathering (Dutch première)
choreography: Jerome Robbins
music: Frédéric Chopin
Serenade after Plato’s Symposium (European première)
choreography: Alexei Ratmansky
music: Leonard Bernstein
Chroma
choreography: Wayne McGregor
music: Joby Talbot, Jack White III
tue. 11 until tue. 25 September 2018 – Dutch National Opera & Ballet

LA DAME AUX CAMELIAS
choreography and staging: John Neumeier
music: Frédéric Chopin
sat. 13 October until sun. 4 November 2018 – Dutch National Opera & Ballet

GISELLE
choreography: Marius Petipa, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot
production and additional choreography: Rachel Beaujean and Ricardo Bustamante
music: Adolphe Adam
tue. 6 until sat. 24 November 2018 – Dutch tour
wed. 10 until thu. 19 April 2019 – Dutch tour

CINDERELLA
choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
music: Sergej Prokofjev
thu. 13 December 2018 until tue. 1 Januari 2019 – Dutch National Opera & Ballet

REQUIEM
choreography: David Dawson
Requiem (world premiere)
music: Gavin Bryars
Citizen Nowhere
music: Szymon Brzóska
sat. 9 February until fri. 1 March 2019 – Dutch National Opera & Ballet

ODE TO THE MASTER
choreography: Hans van Manen
5 Tango’s
music: Astor Piazzolla
Symphonieën der Nederlanden
music: Louis Andriessen
Sarcasmen
music: Sergej Prokofjev
On the Move
music: Sergej Prokofjev
tue. 12 until sun. 20 February 2019 – Dutch National Opera & Ballet

SWAN LAKE
choreography: Rudi van Dantzig, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
choreography caractère-dances third act: Toer van Schayk
music: Pjotr Iljitsj Tsjaikovski
sat. 16 March until sun. 2 June 2019 – Dutch National Opera & Ballet

VAN MANEN, FORSYTHE, ARQUES
Kleines Requiem (premiere for Dutch National Ballet)
choreography: Hans van Manen
music: Henryk Mikolaj Górecki
Pas/Parts (European première of the revival)
choreography: William Forsythe
music: Thom Willems
Ignite (Dutch première)
choreography: Juanjo Arqués
music: Kate Whitley
fri. 14 until sun. 30 June 2019 – Dutch National Opera & Ballet

NEW MOVES
Dancers create choreographies
fri. 3 July 2019 – Dutch National Opera & Ballet

2 minutes ago, Jayne said:

If you can go, you should go!

Sigh ..... sadly no - will be in Piter the week before and have to give this rarity a miss 

Hear hear : Masha Alexandrova will dance Kitri at Mariinka on Sat March 17th (with Lantratov) :

https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2018/3/17/1_1900

https://www.ilona-landgraf.com/2018/02/the-art-of-storytelling/

Sorry if admin has already posted this elsewhere, wanted to make sure. This year is certainly the "Don Q" year with a plethora of stagings all over Europe. Rome Opera Ballet has staged it, it's on in Amsterdam, I am going to see two shows in one day at Helsinki in March, La Scala Ballet will stage it in July, it's on at the Bolshoy and Mariinka and God knows where else. If I were forced to choose one ballet only this would be it :  wonderful ballet music with unforgettable tunes, excellent choreo, sequences for virtuoso technique display for who has it, chance to display dazzling scenery and costumes for companies with the budget, you name it. My eyes almost popped out the first time I saw it at the Bolshoy : when the curtain opened almost the whole company of 250 was on stage - goodness me !

2 minutes ago, Lam said:

Initially thought that I had  booked the evening performance for I wished to see Maria Shirinkina perform. As it turned out I didn't but nevertheless I was still happy with Shakirova

I will tell you why you were led astray, as I was to some extent :  Mariinka posted only the matinee for Sunday 28th Jan with no evening performance, and I got tix for the matinee thinking there would be no evening performance. They posted the evening performance 3-4 days later    . This is the state of affairs at M currently - with just three weeks to go there is no program posted for the gala on 11th March !

6 hours ago, Buddy said:

Very nice picture, Mnacenani. Hope that you had a fine visit. You're becoming a backstage regular, a good pal.

I have not been backstage !  I borrowed this picture from the Russian ballet forum, maybe I should have credited them. Will consult admin on policy regarding this issue.

Backstage News :  Yekaterina Osmolkina who danced Shirin past Friday was originally cast with Kimin Kim as Ferkhad for Thursday eve only. Yelena Yevseyeva was cast with Shklyarov for Friday but was "indisposed" a short while before curtain up on Friday so Osmolkina had to step in without any rehearsal with Shklyarov. To my amateur eye no slip-up was visible so "Brava" from me to Osmolkina !

Now hear this :  a gift package sent by someone was delivered to Osipova's dressing room, with a letter attached. The letter purportedly expressed the great admiration of the sender for Natasha and said he would like her to dance only for him at his palace ....... signed "Seyd Pasha" !!  Oh Boy .... laughed till tears ran down my face when my friend texted this last evening. Wouldn't I love to have seen Osipova's face when she read this ..... Dear God !  Just wait till our "Some ballets should be banned" lobby hears this, oh boy 

PS :  discussion on "balletfriends.ru" (major Russian forum) indicates quite a number of members share my take on Natasha's portrayal of Mehmene Banu, saying her characterisation didn't hit the mark and Banu will not be one of her signature roles. Link for our Russian speakers :

http://forum.balletfriends.ru/viewtopic.php?t=8520&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=630

(backstage photo from balletfriends.ru)

4 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

My best guess is that there is an equally corrupt scheme on the Bolshoi side of the equation, and someone within the theater is making a profit.

Dear Volcanohunter in all my business life when some things just didn't add up I always suspected, rather knew, that there was some hanky-panky involved . I presume you know how babushkas start queueing up at 6 am Saturday mornings (box office opens at 11 am) to get numbers for advance tix sales for say SL or SB performance three months ahead. Bolshoy security is around, but on one occasion which made it into the news last year (could be 2016) a black minivan drove up just before the box office opened, a number of scalpers got out and walked right in past the babushkas in full view of Bolshoy security and bought quite a number of tickets !  Urin himself said in a news conference that the only thing they were able to do to fight scalpers was to put up the ticket prices - this way at least the revenue would accrue to the theatre which would otherwise line the pockets scalpers (only ??). Best seats which cost R15K are expensive by London standards let alone Moscow, but when casting is posted well after the house is sold out one has to fork out R35K to R45K for Zaharova, serious money. So the management probably is turning a blind eye to some goings on so as not to earn the enmity of those outside and inside the house ...... acid is cheap  

1 hour ago, MadameP said:

I do think it is a truly Great Grigorovich ballet and one that deserves to be seen on the Bolshoi stage.

Agree, I have the feeling this should be seen at the Bolshoy, the changes made at Mariinka and "tightness" of the CdB don't resonate.

1 hour ago, MadameP said:

Osipova  does not have the lines or regality that I personally would like to see in the Queen, she certainly has the stage presence and expression.

My friend had exactly the same take, said Osipova did not look "Regal" enough - will look up what she posted on No Fixed Points but am sure it will be in Russian only. Fully agree that Osipova had great stage presence, as always, but "we" were not too sure regarding expression last night.

Music :  between Spartak, Shurale and Legenda imho the last one is the composition of "higher quality" : quite a number of beautiful memorable sequences.

As you may well know Legenda was a collaboration between the renowned Turkish poet and playwright Nazim Hikmet, Azeri composer Arif Melikov and Russian (?) choreographer Yuriy Grigarovich. Hikmet wrote the play, after the (Persian?) folk tale Farkhad wa Shireen, when he was in the clapper at Bursa for being a member of the banned clandestine Turkish Communist Party. One of these three later famously said this was a prime example of "internationalism"

Would love to read what Russian critics have written, think this would be well covered. Will try to get Ismene Brown interested in translating some Russian reviews, as resume at least. Would really like to know if any of them have the same take.

On board with mobile in hand :  imho this will not prove to be a signature role for Osipova, the way Kitri, Giselle and Silfida or Lise is. I thought her expression was rather one dimensional, and at discussion after it ended when my friend (was covering it for No Fixed Points) expressed the same opinion I told her I thought she hit the nail on the head. It has been some time but I feel Allash and Krysanova had  better characterisation.

Osmolkina and Shklyarov were good in their roles, Zverev one notch up. Again if my memory doesn't fail me the Balshoy CdB was sharper than what I saw last night, but again "I might be witness to what I would like to think" !

Had generated much interest as this was going to be Natasha's debut as Mehmene Banu, some thoughts. I had previously seen Legenda twice at Bolshoy, with Allash (repl. Zaharova)-Nikulina-Rodkin and Krysanova-Vinogradova-Tsvirko, and yesterday was my third albeit at Mariinka. This is also Grigarovich but the staging is not 100 % the same as Bolshoy's, the finale I thought was slightly different. Shirin was Osmolkina, Ferkhad Shklyarov and the Vizier Zverev.

This ballet could be Grigarovich's "chef-d'oeuvre" - I don't know whether he has any other original work of equal stature. The choreo of some ensemble scenes I find strikingly similar to "Spartak" but this is not original Grig. - Yakabson got there first. Overall I would say this is a must-see at least once for any "avid ballet-goer" - the innovative choreo (PdB, use of hands), the music alternating between the symphonic and subtle evocative Oriental melodies, the use of 9/8 "belly dance" rhythm in Act 2 all this would be worth seeing and hearing for the first-timer imho.

Possibly due to my ignorance and lack of appreciation for the "subtle" I am at a loss as to the reason why every "Prima Assoluta" be it Zaharova, Krysanova or Osipova goes for Mehmene Banu - an issue of rank ?? Last night I and my friend could not help wondering why Natasha did not do Shirin - she would have made an incredible Shirin and would have used her God-given gifts of expression and characterisation to their fullest. As Banu she was excellent as expected re technique but if I may say so had a dark brooding facial expression for most of the performance - the fact that she is veiled for most of this time does not help either.

Sorry - have to check out and go to the airport, will finish my report once there.

12 minutes ago, Buddy said:

I've not found any reference to a Vaganova gala in March but I'll keep looking.

Dear Buddy : I queried my contacts in Piter when I was there for Shurale and was told the Vaganova event on or about March 13th is a conference not a ballet gala.